HNK x reader

Chapter 35

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Your footsteps echoed across the wide, empty floors of the palace. It seemed like there wasn't a living soul as if everyone had vanished into thin air. At this moment you were totally alone with your thoughts and doubts while the argument that had just happened replayed in your mind like a broken record.

You took one step, and another, and another before your legs suddenly went weak and you fell to your knees. A feeling of nausea washed over you and you nearly vomited, swallowing it before it could come out, at the realization of one crucial thing.

"What even is grooming!?"

Cairn. . .Cairngorm was unaware that he was being manipulated. He doesn't know what it's like to be gromed, none of the gems do. None of them know anything about love, being in a romantic relationship or the dangers of abuse. As far as you knew none of the gems had ever gotten engaged to anyone else. You had only heard that some of them had partners but those were just battle buddies. No one had ever officially been with anyone romantically.

And from what you know Sensei never explained it to them.

You felt goosebumps spread all over your body as you supported yourself with your shaking arms. You were in a cold sweat.

This means that all gems as far as love is concerned are just children, pure, innocent, inexperienced. They don't know about the dangers of abuse, manipulation, grooming. Cairngorm had revealed to you that he had feelings for you but had never made a move because he didn't know HOW to make it. But now, after interacting with Aechmea he suddenly became all affectionate and a relationship expert.

Aechema. . .this all started after he met him. . .if it REALLY was about the Ghost fragments left in his eye he could very well have gone to Rutile or a Lunarian assistant and they could have had it removed. Rather. . .how did Aechema know about the fragments in his eye?

You wanted to vomit again. This wasn't normal, this wasn't normal at all! How could this happen so quickly?! A friend of yours is getting gromed for fuck sake! How could you let this happen!? How did you not notice this before?! The power balance is so fucking obviously fucked. If placed together, the Prince looks like a grown ass man and Cairn looks like a fucking little girl. A fucking submissive little wife. Then again, maybe he really likes dressing feminine and all that but it's obvious that the relationship has, you dare to say, some pedophilia in it.

Your breathing became more frantic as you tried to calm your heart and stop the feeling of vomiting and disgust. How many times has that man almost made you vomit? Prince? Rather Groomer would be a more appropriate adjective. God, this is all fucked up! This so fucking fucked! What should you do now?! You absolutely must find a way to make Cairn understand that this is all wrong.

You have to help Cairn but you can't forget about Phos and this whole praying machine thing. You need to formulate a plan so that no one or as little as possible gets hurt. You mustfind a way to pray to theLunarians andmake the gems of theearth and the moon reconcile, you mustbring Phos backto himselfand in all this youcannot forgetthe promisemadetoCinnabar andtheonemadetoKongoandinallthiskeepyouroriginsecret and-

"Hey"

You gasped feeling a hand rest on your shoulder which brought you back to reality. Raising your head you turned it towards the origin of the voice and, among the vision blurred by the tears that threatened to fall, you managed to recognize the red silhouette of Padpa. "Is everything okay? I've been calling you for a while and you didn't answer" said the gem, wiping away with his thumb a tear that had finally managed to escape from your eye.